


A Puffball and a Cat

by Gresha



Category: Cytus (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Gen, I just love them. okay, I reached level cap so now this is what I'm doing, Major Spoilers, if there isn't a work for them i gotta do everything myself
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-07-28 11:37:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16240829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gresha/pseuds/Gresha
Summary: Post-canon story (after the level 49 cap)! Please be advised of major spoilers for the main three, especially involving PAFF, NEKO, and the Aroma DLC.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just as a preface and last warning: this fanfic contains major spoilers involving everything in the game (or at least Neko and PAFFs stories, up to version 1.7) thus far. If you don't wish to see any spoilers, please consider catching up first. Otherwise, enjoy.

Suffice to say, it’s been a long day for Neko Asakura. After her day spent streaming and messing around in JOEZ cafe, the last thing on her mind was the “mysterious diva” and all the antics involved with Monophonic. Who knew they were a shitty company all along? Oh yeah, that’s right, her.

However, life had other plans and now Neko was sitting in her home, waiting for PAFF herself to take a shower. What was it that let her stay? Pity? The goodness of her own heart? She didn’t quite know, herself, other than the fact that she couldn’t let the girl rot outside. She was so nasty and disheveled she probably hadn’t been inside a building since she “ran away”.

Neko still wanted to believe it was all a big publicity stunt. At this point, she wanted to believe it, but more so the woman she saw wasn’t suffering as much as it looked...which she knew was probably a fat chance. Neko’s salty, not stupid.

Alas, her thought process was cut short by the bathroom door opening. There she was, Aroma White, cleaned enough to not look like the hobo that Neko thought she was at first. The clothes Neko gave her didn’t fit just right - there was bound to be some issues considering how different they are in height - but it was a good enough start.

As usual, Aroma said nothing, still dejected from the long few days she’s been through, all leading up to having to plead with someone that hated her. Neko could practically see it on her face. She didn’t quite know how much PAFF knew, how much hatred Neko spouted about her online, but she obviously had to have seen some of it. It’s hard not to see when some of her fans actively flame PAFF on her own posts. That was neither here nor there, as far as Neko was concerned.

“What are you standing there for? Sure, Neko wants to say so much she barely knows where to start, but Neko needs a shower too! Sit down or something,” she quipped, her usual strange pronouns intact. 

Aroma jumped, just a tad, as if snapping out of some sort of spell before finally moving. Another small “sorry,” escaped her lips. It sounded like a habit.

Regardless, Neko didn’t waste any time entering the bathroom. She hated the frustrating, stagnant air of the place. She didn’t know how to deal with it, which only angered her more. The talking, the questions, everything would come afterwards; she just needed to clear her head.

\--

 

After a lot of thinking (and hot water), Neko left the bathroom, somewhat refreshed, but mostly feeling the same as before. At least she’s ready to talk now, and boy, did she have a lot of questions.

It doesn’t take more than a few seconds to find Aroma resting her head on the dining room table. A small portion of Neko believed this to be all one weird hallucination. Heck, part of her believed she would’ve been gone by the time she was out, not leaving a single word like the enigma she is, but she’s still here. _Well then, let’s get down to business._

Before Neko says a single word, however, she sat down across from her and realized...Aroma was asleep. _Okay, really?!_ At first, it annoyed her to no end. She wanted questions answered and all she got was an idol escapee sleeping in her house? _This is ridiculous!_

...Yet she says nothing. She was obviously tired when she was at her doorstep, so it made sense, didn’t it? She was so impatient...but it’s not like she would get anything out of waking the woman up. Probably more crying, she’s willing to bet. Who knew PAFF was a softie? Maybe there’s truth in calling her fans cream puffs.

Neko watched from the other side of the table, unsure of what to do. When she wakes up, will that be it? Just a “thank you, goodbye,” and she’ll be off to who knows where? Though maybe that didn’t make sense...she came to Neko, after all.

She didn’t go to any relative, she didn’t actively search out some employee for Mono, some people wrote she might’ve been actively avoiding public cameras. She’s smarter at evasion than she looks, but for what reason, Neko didn’t know. All she knew is she’s trying to run away.

Come to think of it, her house would be the last place agents look at in search of PAFF, wasn’t it? Was she really the place of refuge in this situation? Huh...she didn’t know why, but that sounded kind of fun...protecting the poor (presumably) innocent from the cops and evil corporations; it’s like something out of a video game.

Although Neko didn’t realize how short her time was, sitting here, as she heard footsteps coming towards the door. Shit, the family…! Acting on instinct, Neko got up and tried to hoist the sleeping girl by the waist as quick as she could. It wasn’t that fast, considering the lack of muscle she has, but it was enough to wake Aroma up, looking confused, almost as if she forgot she was there. 

“Quick, you don’t want people to see you, right…?” Neko’s still trying to drag her with gritted teeth. “No time to explain, c’mon…!”

Aroma finally complied, and Neko was able to shove her into a room a close the door just in time.

“Hey, hello, welcome home~ Neko just got back too~”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is honestly my first fic, so I was a bit iffy on posting, but I can't help myself at this point, hahah! Thanks for taking a read; I appreciate it all so much ^^


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life returns to normal in the Asakura residence...or at least as normal as it could be, which isn't saying a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god update 1.8 is already on the way,, I don't know if I'm ready for it, wheeze. Have another chapter in the meantime!

Some time has passed since PAFFs abrupt arrival back into Neko’s life, and it has taken a lot of patience to say the least. With Neko living with family, it was virtually impossible to take the other girl anywhere without being spotted. Therefore, she could only do one thing; trust her family not to snitch. Weird proposition? Yes, but she knew she could always trust them with what she says, including the fact that she’s hiding a runaway star in her room.

It went okay...for the most part. At the sight of Aroma, Kenta was almost immediately starstruck. Neko automatically got defensive with her little brother. “What’s that supposed to mean when you have Neko~?”

“But sis, this is so different! She’s so…”

Before Kenta could finish his reply, Neko was already chasing him down for that. All things considered, it went pretty well.

What wasn’t going well, on the other hand, was understanding Aroma. Neko still had so many questions, but has yet to get a single answer out of her. She was basically squatting in her own home...ridiculous. Perhaps she just needed some space, but Neko was never a patient person.  _...Egh, whatever, I have work to do. _

Regardless, Neko started to prepare her computer for another stream. It’s not like she could just go silent now; her fans are waiting for her! No matter what stinky ol’ Xenon says or what strange things keep happening to her. If she stopped now, she would only look even more suspicious.

All it takes is a post to iM, the start of a streaming program, and the game of the day to get her going. It’s all going swimmingly, just as usual...or at least it would’ve been until she saw a peculiar message in chat.

_ “who’s that??” _

She could feel the adrenaline rush through her body as she saw another similar message pop up. She’s in the camera’s view!

“AH AH AH!” Neko didn’t even pause the game as she make an impromptu censor bar for the side PAFF entered view. Oh thank god, she was facing the wrong way. _ No problem! Just play it cool, hahah, yeah! _ “Sorry~ Neko must’ve forgotten to tell her family staying over not to come in! Hold on a sec~ No looking~”

From there, a muffled “Get out of here, you can come back later, just…!” and the door shuts. Once the censor bar is removed, there’s no mysterious girl left in sight. “Sorry, folks, but I can’t have you stalking my family-”

She only then realized she had never paused the game. All that was left on the gameplay screen was a big “GAME OVER”.

“Aw, are you kidding me!! I was so close!”

 

\--

 

It’s a tad longer before the days stream comes to an end. Some of the viewers still had questions, but Neko was skilled enough to dispel most of them. “It’s just my sister, geez! Don’t tell me you’re about to go out and find her, huh? Naughty naughty viewers (*Φ皿Φ*)”

She didn’t know what to feel about calling Aroma a sister. It felt stupid and wrong, but she went with it anyways. So long as they didn’t see her face, (and by the chat it seemed they didn’t,) they were fine.

It only got more miraculous that Aroma was still waiting right where she left her, sitting outside the door. “It’s fine now, you’re covered. And damn lucky, too.” She saw Aroma cast her gaze down, but just before she was about speak, Neko interrupted. “If it’s another ‘sorry,’ shush. I’ve already heard it enough; what’s with that, anyways?”

Aroma seemed surprised. She tried to say something, but stopped herself. It was probably another sorry...but right before Neko was about to give up talking to her and move on, she spoke up. “...I don’t know.”

Neko looked back at her, almost amazed. Hearing more than one word from her was so abnormal. Probably the most she heard from her was the day she picked her up off the street. She sat down across from PAFF, waiting to see if she had anything more to say.

That she did. “It’s all I have wanted to say to you, I think.”

“Huh?”

“Because of the bodyguards...and sis telling me to go...when you left, too. I wanted to try and talk to you, but...I don’t know. I should’ve said something. That’s why I’m sorry.”

“Oh...you still think about that crap? It was more Mono’s fault than you, I don’t care.”

Aromas expression doesn’t change. She’s not buying it. Yeah, she’s definitely seen some of the mean things she’s said about her. That look on her face alone made Neko regret a lot. 

“Okay, sure I was mad about it, I was mad at you too, who wouldn’t?”

“What did they do to you…? I mean, I heard a commotion before you left, but I never knew why…”

“They outright didn’t credit me! Neko’s name was nowhere on the packaging! It was just you!! It was rigged!”

“I’m so sorry…”

_ She really was clueless, wasn’t she? _ She had no idea what happened, and this entire time Neko was just firing insults at a kind of weird girl? She almost wanted to believe PAFF was lying, but come to think of it, her sister was always the one talking, especially to other staff. It lined up the dots; Aroma knew near to nothing about show business.  _ God, how frustrating… _

“Nah, I guess I should be the one saying sorry, then. I threw out insults like candy and only started seeing you as someone else when you finally left Mono,” Neko was trying not to grind her teeth; she hated admitting she was wrong. “It was short sighted and mean.”

Aroma was practically stunned. She didn’t expect that at all, it seemed.  _ Yeah, well, me neither. _ There it was again, that stagnant air, so Neko swatted it away the best she could...with a handshake.

“Then real quick, let’s start this over. I’m Neko Asakura, pleased to meet you.”

PAFF hesitated, but accepted the handshake. “Aroma White. Nice to meet you.”  _ What a fancy name. Honestly, it suits her. _

For some reason, it made Neko just a bit happier. Was it because she was finally over an obstacle in her life? Because she finally had a competent conversation with the chick living in her house? Maybe because she could see the slightest of smiles on Aroma’s face herself-  _ pfft, nah. That’s just cheesy. _ Regardless, she was happy enough to get up and clap Aroma on the back, much to the ex-idols dismay.

“Good! Let’s get along, then.”


End file.
